


Desert Child

by Floral_Murdock



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, Gen, Rey is not a skywalker, The Last Jedi Spoilers, Unless You Want Her To Be
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 12:39:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13235928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Floral_Murdock/pseuds/Floral_Murdock
Summary: While training with Luke on Ahch-To, Rey reconnects with an old friend. Or: the one where Rey was raised by a ghost, and Anakin saw much of himself in a child on a desert planet. Mild spoilers for The Last Jedi.





	Desert Child

Rey sat cross-legged on the rock, focusing her attention on the Force. “Breathe,” Luke said beside her, “in and out. Learn to search your feelings, to trust your intuitions.” She felt like she was balancing on the edge of one of the many cliffs on the island, except the cliff was the boundary between Light and Dark. She knew she could find what she sought, if she could just reach far enough --- 

But it retreated away from her. If she went any further, she would wobble over the edge into the abyss. But maybe, if she just stretched her arm out a little further ---

“That's enough.” Luke’s voice was sharp. “Every time, you start going towards the Dark. Can't you control it?” 

“Not very well, apparently.” Rey said shakily. “The Dark and the Light blend together when I see them. I know where the Dark is, and the Light, but there's this area between them that's just sort of. . . foggy, I suppose, and it feels like there's something there. It's calling me.” Every time she tried to meditate, it was the same. 

“That's the path to the Dark. Whatever it is that you're trying to find, you need to let go of it in order to stay in the light.” Luke urged her. “Try again, and this time, let go.” 

She shifted, trying to clear her mind of distractions. In, out. Find the rhythm of the Force, the rhythm of her own body in sync with the rest of creation. In, out. She closed her eyes, sinking back into the Force ---

“You're not doing her any favors by teaching her to fear the Dark.” A familiar voice sounded behind her. Rey whipped around to see a familiar blue-tinted figure. 

“Ani!” She'd been little more than a child the last time he'd come to her. He looked the same as always, with unruly bluish-tinted curls and the same odd robes as the other ghosts. She realized for the first time, however, how young he was. He was barely older than she was now. 

“Hello, father.” Luke greeted the ghost with his usual grumpy expression. 

Father? 

Rey put a pin in that for later. “What are you doing here?” 

Ani gave Luke a significant glance, then turned back to Rey. “I'm here to help with your meditation.” 

“I think we have that under control, thank you.” Luke said. 

“Apparently you don't have it under control, if you're teaching her to fear what she sees,” Ani said disapprovingly.

“It's the Dark Side. She's drawn to it,” Luke argued. 

“She can't help what she sees. The Dark is everywhere right now. Better she see it and understand before she has to face it for real.” 

Luke sighed. “I know.” 

“Then why don't you teach her to accept it?” 

“You know why,” Luke said darkly. 

“The best way to get her to turn is to withhold as much information as possible,” Ani said casually. 

“I'm not going to let that happen,” Luke’s voice was sharp. “Not again.” 

“I didn't say you were.” 

“Let what happen?” Rey asked finally. 

“You turning to the Dark Side. Which will not happen, because we're going to make  
sure you understand it. The Dark feeds off of fear and ignorance.” 

“So I'm going into the Dark Side?” Rey wasn't sure how that could be a good idea. If you didn't want something to consume you, wasn't it better to avoid it than to study it? 

“In a sense.” Ani glided toward the rock she was sitting on, hand outstretched. “ “But you won't be in it, you'll just get a glimpse of it. Close your eyes. Find the Force. What do you see?” 

Rey closed her eyes, sinking back into the rhythm of the Force. She started falling down a dark hole, into a large cavern. “I’m falling. I see a cave. It's cold, it's so cold. . .” 

“Okay. Do you see anything else?” 

She fell into the water. The deep, icy lake stretched above her head for at least a few feet. She flailed, trying to get her head above water. It was heavier than she knew water could be. 

“Rey? REY!” Luke and Ani were calling her, but she couldn't answer. If she opened her mouth, her lungs would fill with water. She finally reached up, up, until her skin hit the air --- 

She felt closer than ever to what she was searching for. It was somewhere in this cave. But when she looked, the only thing she saw was herself, reflected back infinitely. The walls of the cave were like a mirror, except that her reflection reached back as far as she could see. When she spoke, there was only her own voice echoing back at her, forever. But there was something else here, they were here, somewhere. 

Somewhere in the neverending line of Reys, there was an odd, mechanical hissing sound. It might be someone opening and closing ship door, she thought. 

She wandered toward the sound, but not with her physical self. She seemed to float over to it, her consciousness separate from her body. 

Her anticipation evaporated, replaced by a creeping dread. The sound was louder now, closer. It wasn't a ship door, though it was similarly mechanical. It was the sound of someone breathing, horribly labored and amplified. 

The breathing came from a black-cloaked creature, taller than any human Rey had ever seen. His black head --- or was it a helmet? --- looked like an oversized human skull. And he radiated pure, unconflicted darkness. 

Waves of hatred, anger, and grief surrounded Rey like a sandstorm. But under that there was something familiar. Rey felt sick. She knew who this was, she’d known his presence in the Force long before she ever learned that feeling inside her had a name ---

“Rey!” When she came to, Luke hovered over her. “Are you alright?” 

She looked past Luke, glaring at Ani accusingly. His mournful expression betrayed what she already knew. She leapt to her feet, backing away instinctively.

“What are you?”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how much this makes sense on its own, as there is a lot of unwritten backstory involved here. But it's been sitting in my drive basically since the movie came out, so I figured I'd post this part on its own while I sort the rest out. 
> 
> Be sure to look out for the next installment, where we attempt to answer such questions as: How does Rey know Anakin? What will Rey do when she discovers the true identity of "Ani"? If Anakin can appear to Rey, why doesn't he try and set his grandson straight?


End file.
